Opening Statement

A movie so gleefully obtuse, many theatres couldn't even get the name right.
(When I Heart Huckabees went out to multiplexes around the country, many
theatre managers mistakenly put "I Love Huckabees" up on their
marquees, because all the press packets just used that heart symbol in the
title.) This is not your average existential angst and reality perception
comedy. No, it's a spiritual petit four for the mind and heart. A beautiful
little idiosyncratic gem of a movie that will have you laughing out loud and
scratching your head, often simultaneously. Not only is the film a challenge,
but the film comes in two flavors at your local DVD outlet. There is a special
two disc edition and a single disc edition to pick from. I received the single
disc package, but my secret spies have let me in on exactly what is on that
elusive second disc...so while I can't review the content, I can at least tell
you what's there. Just don't ask me why we're here or what purpose your life
has. I'm still dismantling all of that.

Facts of the Case

Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore) is an activist poet who
runs an Open Spaces coalition and has experienced a coincidental encounter with
a tall African man three times. The meaning of this bugs him so much that he
seeks out the help of Vivian (Lily Tomlin, The Search for Intelligent Signs
of Life in the Universe) and Bernard (Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate)
Jaffe, "existential investigators" who work on a sliding scale. He is
warned by Vivian this will be an extensive investigation, where they will spy on
his every move until they discover the key to these occurrences. What the
detectives find is that Albert is locked in a vicious struggle with an overly
ambitious corporate sales executive from the megastore company Huckabees, Brad
Stand (Jude Law, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, basically every
movie in 2004). Brad is trying to co-opt the Open Spaces coalition for his own
personal gain. He also seems interested in employing the Jaffes to investigate
his own life, which leads them to his spokesmodel girlfriend, Dawn (Naomi Watts,
The Ring). Finally, add to all of this a quest for meaning from a
disheartened fire fighter named Tom Corn (Mark Wahlberg, Boogie Nights),
and the existential investigators' dark French rival in philosophy Caterine
Vauban (Isabelle Huppert, 8 Women).

The Evidence

Director David O. Russell, who was behind both Three Kings and
Flirting With Disaster, directed this movie. I remember a huge
scuttlebutt erupted when I Heart Huckabees was released, concerning
whether a movie with a star-studded cast like this could truly be called
"independent." Well -- it played in art houses, it didn't have a huge
ad campaign, and nothing gets blown up. That feels pretty independent to me.
It's a movie that feels akin to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
because it's a mind-bending comedy with some serious overtones and a stellar
cast. The subject matter is less daunting, though, because everyone here is just
wondering the basic question of "What does my life mean?" Don't let
all the existential mumbo-jumbo fool you; it's a lot of fun even if you can't
define "nihilism."

The movie concerns the struggle between two prevailing thoughts about the
universe and reality. Bernard and Vivian Jaffe believe everything is positively
interconnected, and the universe is planned out with an infinite connection to
every atom in your body. They believe positive thoughts can steer someone's life
back on course, and connect them to their greater purpose. Their rival, Caterine
Vauban, professes that everything in the universe is just a random and cruel
accident. She believes that it doesn't matter what you do while you are here on
Earth, because we are ultimately all alone and nothing is connected. David
Russell is making his own statement about what it's like in the world after
September 11th, and he's using a light farce to debate all of this in a very
palatable and entertaining manner. I Heart Huckabees addresses
environmentalism, conflicting ideologies, right and left political slants,
corporate greed, what it means to be attractive, and what reality really is.
It's some pretty heavy stuff wrapped into a puff pastry...No, that's not it. To
me the one metaphor that works is a more sophisticated but still light and airy
dessert -- I Heart Huckabees would be a crème brulée of
comedy.

Everything is interconnected in this movie, and you can look at some spooky
associations and pairings in it. The Jaffes have the nostalgic feel of classic
gumshoes, and remind you of The Thin Man series. (Wouldn't that rock with
Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman?) Lily and Dustin have wanted to work together
for a long time, so they jumped at the chance to do this movie. Thank God they
did! Both of them are hilarious. Lily is a physical and mental comedienne of the
highest caliber, and Dustin does a spot-on impression of Robert Thurman
(professor of philosophy at a huge New York university and the father of Uma
Thurman). Jason Schwartzman is brilliant with his "early 20s I hate the
world" angst bit. He even gets to do some great work with his real-life
mother, Talia Shire (The Godfather), who appears as...his mother. Did I
mention that Tippi Hedren (The Birds) shows up talking about saving
birds, Jean Smart (Designing Women) gets to do dowdy as a right-wing
Christian, and Shania Twain (country/pop diva) appears as a country/pop
diva?

Check out the eerie coincidences, too: like how Jessica Lange's picture
splits in two at one moment in the film, and then standing there is Naomi Watts
-- both women destined to be loved by giant gorillas. Watts is hilarious, and
gets to spoof both her intensity in 21 Grams and display her sexy, fun
side as well. Ironically, at one time Nicole Kidman was attached to the film,
but Watts is perfection. Jude Law turns in a particularly nasty performance, and
seems to be more than happy to slam his "golden boy" image. Mark
Wahlberg gleefully rips through the movie as a physical philosopher destined to
give everyone insight with his fists, and even cries out the real name of the
priest who saved him from the streets when he was a teenager. He's rarely seemed
so real, and he's a standout here. Isabelle Huppert turns in one of her sexiest
performances ever, and her scene in the mud is breathtaking. It's all too freaky
to even begin to comprehend the reality and interconnections that are playing
out in front of you. Bottom line -- it's also just a whole lot of fun.

The transfer is great. No artifacts here, no edge enhancements, and the only
pixelation is intentional (when Dustin Hoffman contemplates the infinity of his
nose compared to Wahlberg's). Colors pop, flesh tones are true, and there's nary
a hint of grain. The soundtrack is well represented with a 5.1 surround mix that
lets the dialogue crackle over Jon Brion's (Punch Drunk Love) melodic
score. There are two commentaries on both editions of the disc which include
David O. Russell solo for one track, and joined by stars Mark Wahlberg and Jason
Schwartzman on the other. Naomi Watts is reached by cell phone at one point, but
only for one scene. There is some repetition to the two tracks, but one is the
interconnected party session and the other is the lonely technical analysis of
the film. They both are pretty solid, and explain a lot about the film and how
they approached it. No other extras exist on the single disc edition.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

The only bad part about the whole package is the decision of which edition to
get. There are two versions, a single disc and a deluxe package with two. The
commentaries are on both editions, but the special edition features the
following extras not found on this single disc version: deleted/extended scenes
that run for 51 minutes; a documentary of the shoot with many directors,
including Spike Jonze, which runs 35 minutes; Russell's appearance on The
Charlie Rose Show; four minutes of outtakes; a gag reel; an infomercial for
the agency (with deleted scenes from the infomercial); Open Spaces PSAs;
featurettes on costume design and the score; acoustic performances of some songs
in the score; trailers; and music videos for the songs. So there you are. You
can get I Heart Huckabees fully loaded, or almost bare bones. The
difference? One will cost you about ten dollars more on average. My suggestion
is to rent the single disc to see if this is for you, or go ahead and take the
plunge if you are already a fan.

It's definitely not going to be a film for everyone. It's a disorienting
farce that offers a lot of insight into philosophy. It's funny as hell, but I
suspect some people will be frustrated with the seemingly random elaborate
theories thrown at them. There's hardly any violence in the film, and the sex is
rather clinical and hardly revealing. I suspect the only reason the film was
rated R was for the strings of expletives that seem to come out of everyone's
mouth at one point or another. But other than that, the only thing offensive
about the movie is the idea that philosophy seeks to answer questions that maybe
religion deals with more easily (or at least more succinctly). So I wouldn't
rent this with your grandmother over, or as a nice diversion for the kids in
between Spongebob and Dora. But if you're of legal age, think a lot about the
meaning of life, and have half a brain, this is at least a "must rent"
movie if not "must own." In the span of two days I have watched the
damn thing three times, and it stays fresh and funny every time. But I suspect
it will be labeled under the "love it or hate it" category relegated
to any great piece of work in art.

Closing Statement

I found this movie totally engaging, funny as hell, and something nice to
mull over and discuss over coffee later. It's not going to change anyone's
world, but it sure will expand it. The cast is phenomenal, the direction is
tight, and the DVD is nicely done whether or not it comes with the extra disc.
It's the kind of comedy you wish Hollywood would make more of. Beats the crap
out of Taxi or Are We There Yet with one hand tied behind its
back. You wonder how these kind of films get made...It's amazing to me when a
group of people get together and agree to take pay cuts just to produce
something they truly believe in. I Heart Huckabees is the kind of reality
I wish I lived in.

The Verdict

Free to go on dismantling for as long as it wants. I Heart Huckabees
is that rare find where you will be begging your friends to watch it if they
haven't seen it. And if they have, you'll probably engage in a quoting war that
could last for days. It's an awesome comedy, and easily one of the best of 2004
or any year. It's whip-smart, peppy, and completely lovable.